More incentives to leverage on Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programs in Singapore

We are proud to report that IPOS has recently introduced even more incentives for patent applicants to utilize the PPH: 

1. Ease of refund process:

30% of the official examination fee is automatically refunded by IPOS after PPH is requested, once the PPH documents have been verified. In other words, no separate request for the discount has to be filed. 

Based on Auriga’s experience, the crediting of the refund takes approximately 3 months. At least 5 of our clients have benefitted from this automated refund process since its commencement in August 2026. 

Although this pilot discount and refund scheme is slated to end in December 2027, it is hoped that the scheme will be extended due to positive feedback from the Applicants.   

2. Accelerated First Office Action timelines 

From 1 July 2026 onwards, for applications utilizing the PPH, IPOS will endeavour to issue the first office action within 6 months from the date of the PPH request (Source: IPOS Circular No. 2/2026, dated 10 June 2026).

This is good news IPOS has indicated a formal commitment to expedite the examination process.  

3. Invitation to Amend (ITA) may be issued for PPH cases:

IPOS has clarified that an ITA may be issued by the examiner during the PPH examination process, in lieu of a written opinion. Since all PPH cases submitted for examination already contain claims which correspond to claims already examined and allowed by the partner PPH patent office (as indicated in the requisite claims correspondence table), the IPOS examiner rarely finds substantive issues in the Singapore application. Thus, if non-substantive issues are found, the examiner may choose to issue an ITA instead. In the ITA, the Applicant is invited to submit a Patents Form 13A to either:

(a) Amend the Specification; or

(b) Reject the invitation to amend (with or without an explanation).

The non-extendable deadline to respond to an ITA is 2 months, whereas the non-extendable deadline to respond to a substantive written opinion is 5 months. Therefore, the shortened timeline for responding to an ITA appears geared towards reducing any potential delays in the examination process. This is a welcome move especially for clients who are in urgent need of obtaining their patent rights due to commercial reasons, for example.

At Auriga IP, we highly recommend that our clients fully utilize the advantages of the PPH wherever possible, in order to obtain an expedited grant of their Singapore patent.

As a bonus, for clients who already have a granted Singapore patent, they may utilize these favourable results to expedite the examination process for their overseas applications in jurisdictions where PPH is recognized. 

In summary, the recent enhancements introduced by IPOS significantly streamline the patent prosecution process for applicants leveraging PPH programs. By facilitating expedited examination and optimizing administrative procedures, these measures offer a strategic advantage for rights holders seeking to secure patent protection in Singapore efficiently. We encourage clients to evaluate the applicability of these programs to their specific portfolios. Should you require further guidance or strategic advice regarding the optimization of your patent strategy through the PPH network, please do not hesitate to contact our team at Auriga IP.